Chasing Summer

If you don't have the specialty dining package, it doesn't matter what order you put the reservations in. We are also Sapphire but declined the package, so we can make two Latitudes reservations. I tried Moderno and it asked for over $140 on a cc. I switched Moderno with Los Lobos and added La Cucina and it didn't ask for any money. If we really want to add Moderno we'll switch it out once we're on board, but at least I know we have two times that we prefer.

Two times that I have to be somewhere by a specific time is enough for me in a week. 🙂 If I can't make it work, I could make a reservation for ala carte restaurant and see if I can change it onboard. If it doesn't work, I'd still have something.

Does it only work if you have a Specialty Dining package? I tried Moderno first and then LaCucina second and it still says put in a cc for $141.60. No way to say using Latitudes voucher. In the past I've always had to book once on board but with so many people having the SDP, it's hard to get a reservation then.

How do you make an online reservation for Moderno without paying $70 when you intend to use a Latitudes voucher? Whenever I try to put that in the card it comes up with the payment.

I agree with Glacier Bay over Endicott. We did GB on NCL many years ago and it was beautiful. This summer we did Endicott and had to turn around because of too much ice. That said, don't discount the clout that Princess carries in Alaska. I think Holland and Princess are the most deeply rooted there. We were on Discovery in July. The ship is beautiful. There are no waterslides or over the top amenities but it seems as if your party may not care about that. My 11 year old loved it! I noticed that we had primo docking spots at all of the ports. In Ketchican, Discovery docks right in town. NCL docks several miles away and busses into town. That may be difficult in a wheelchair. There may be accommodations for that, but it's something to consider. In Skagway, we arrived a couple of weeks after the rock slide that damaged the dock. Only one ship could then be at that dock and it was Discovery. Most of the NCL ships were diverted to other ports. With your mom in a wheelchair, I'd do some investigating on docks and accessibility before deciding. We've done both NCL and Princess in Alaska and in your case, I'd choose Discovery. Either way, what a great trip for your family!

Had you been on the Dawn before the refurbishment too? It will be interesting to see if it feels different. We've been on it twice as well as several sister ships that are exactly the same. I was sad to read that the Great Outdoors is now a kid's pool. I agree that was probably a needed amenity but that was my breakfast and sailaway space.

Since Easter is the 9th, many lower schools will be out the week before. We'll be on the Dawn with our 12 year old. The cruise on the 2nd would have many more kids than the one on the 9th. I'm guessing there are no spring break kids on that one unless they are online or homeschooling kids. College breaks are probably over by either cruise. The Dawn is not the water slides and race car type of cruise so there may be less kids than those ships.

I hope the Dawn isn't sailing out of Boston next spring because we're booked on her April 2nd out of Tampa. 🙂 I agree with others that adult children will find their own fun. In addition to being off the ship all day, the pools in the day and music options at night will certainly keep them entertained. In fact, our daughter is not an adult. She will just have turned 12 when we sail Dawn next spring. We really wanted to go out of Tampa and only smaller ships can make it under the bridge so the options are limited. Last spring break we went of Oasis of the Seas, one of the largest ships in the world with every option you can imagine. When I asked her if she'd be ok going on a smaller ship that didn't have any slides or extra entertainment she said, "Well, does it have a pool?" When I said it did, her response was, "Ok, them I'm good." I think your kids will be "good" too, regardless of the ship they're on. Hopefully you can find one out of Boston.

I didn't love the announcements in multiple languages either but not because I'm some uneducated cretin. Usually loudspeaker announcements are hard to understand and slightly annoying but they are usually only about a minute long. When there are six languages to go through, now that goes on for six minutes.

I wonder if the announcements in multiple languages will come back. Post covid has put a big damper on people coming from other countries to sail from the US. Now that they don't have the testing requirements to fly, or even sail for that matter, I'm expecting foreign bookings to increase. I didn't like all of the languages in the announcements but it was bigger than that. So much of the ship doesn't speak English that it's hard to interact with other people. Our daughter is an only child and loves going to the kid's club and making friends with other kids at the pool and during excursions. Try as she might, she found ONE other kid on the ship that spoke English. Not sure if this is still the deal, but when they first started sailing in the US, all kids 12 and under were free. Thus, the ship was packed with kids. I was sailing with one, so I"m not anti-kid, but it was the loudest, least relaxing cruise I've ever been on. I was in the indoor pool and it was so loud I couldn't hear the person sitting next to me. We went to the outside pool and they were having Zumba class in the open area, which is awesome if you're in the class but not so much if you're in a lounge chair. I do price them every once in a while because their ships are beautiful, but when we get above Bella level, it's not as cheap and then I remember waiting an hour to get back on the ship at every port and I move on to a different line. Never say never, but I would have to see so many reviews that refute my previous experiences to even consider MSC again.

Ever since NCL started their "free" packages, their prices have been really high. We are sapphire on NCL and have more cruises with them than any other line. My daughter is 11 and has been on 13 cruises - the first 5 were NCL because they were such a good value. Then came free and it went crazy. We are going out of Tampa next spring break and going on NCL because they are the only ones sailing on Sunday out of Tampa. As for MSC, that is the only line we've been on that I wouldn't do again. It's very, very tempting because they are so cheap, but then I remember it was the only cruise I couldn't wait to get off of. If you are in the Yacht Club, then it's not a fair comparison because that is likely awesome. I didn't like traditional dining as the only option other than the buffet (maybe that has changed in the past 5 years), their service was not great, kids' club was not anything like other lines, the crowds were overbearing, and it took upwards of an hour to get off the ship with a tour and then the same to get back on the ship. I can't say the food was bad...I'm not a foodie. The ships are amazingly beautiful. All of this was pre-covid, so this may have changed, but out of our 39 cruises so far, MSC had the most outstanding shows I've ever been to and they were every night. So, at least in our experience, the entertainment was the best part of the cruise. Still, all in all, I will not be sailing them again anytime soon.

NCL seems to be the slowest line to open their kids' clubs. We were on Royal Caribbean in March and Princess (to Alaska) in July and both had all of their ages open for clubs. I don't think it's a covid thing but more of a staffing issue - however, they are related. Are you sold on going on NCL? In many places I don't think it matter (and we are Sapphire level on NCL, so no knock to them), however, Princess in Alaska seems to have a leg up. Maybe it's because they have been sailing there for 50 years and have forged so many relationships. I noticed that we had premium dock slots and good access to excursions. For example, we were at the main Ketchican dock and the NCL ship was at one 7 miles away and had to bus to the town. That also happened in Skagway. Not a huge deal, but if you're looking at multiple options it's something to consider.

You'll likely need to call. You can. Try chat and they'll tell you whether or not you can do it. I think email would be black hole. If it's before final payment you should be able to change. If there were any special perks like OBC be sure to ask if you can keep those.

I think everyone's customer service is down the past few years and not just for cruising. We are booked on a NCL cruise out of Tampa for next spring break and it's been a while since we've been on NCL. I HATE their "free" crap. Ever since they added the take the free stuff marketing, they have been consistently higher priced than other comparable cruises. We want to go out of Tampa this year and they are the only ship there that leaves on Sunday. It's the Dawn, so it's cheap because it's old, but still not that cheap. I took off the free dining and free drinks and it brought down the price, but still so much more than they used to be. Our daughter is 11 and she's been on 13 cruises, the first 5 being NCL. Then the free stuff started and we been on other ships since then. Even if you can get the sail away (no perks), it's not a good value. Now, compared to land, it's a great value. A week in a FL hotel is the same as our cruise before we add any food. Still love cruises, just like to "shop around." That's capitalism. 🙂 Show me the deal that's a win-win for both of us.

Only you know your boys and what they'll like, but I'd pick the Gem. Our 11 dd has been on 13 cruises, some on the biggest ships (Oasis of the Seas), some small (Holland Rotterdam) and some large but no "kid" type amenities (Princess Discovery). There wasn't one that she didn't love. Encourage them to go to the kids' club. Since our dd has been 3, that's been her favorite part of cruising, that and the pools. I think the ports on the Gem would be more interesting to them. In February, Norfolk will be cold, Port Canaveral beaches could be ok, and the water in GSC is chilly. I love the other ports and it will be much warmer, which if you're leaving from NYC, I'm assuming will be welcomed. 🙂 Plus, two extra days on a ship. Sold!